Nagi
by giyuuwu
Summary: On the run with a half-demon kid, no place to go to and having the privilege of being on top of Kibutsuji Muzan's hit/kill list, oh what days have come for Giyuu. Cross-posted on AO3 under the alias Giyuuwu. Implied Mpreg, non-con. Giyuu-centered.
1. Chapter 1

Giyuu sighed, this wasn't how he had expected his mission to turn out. Nearly dead with a barely functioning leg and, of course not to forget, ending up being a mother. Or father. He could care less about titles when he barely had any idea of how to raise a human baby, much less one that's half-demon spawned by le old Kibutsuji himself.

He physically gagged as embers from the past 17 months of his capture tried to resurface. It was worth wondering what the other Hashiras had been doing all this while. Maybe they all just conveniently forgot about him? A possibility, considering they only saw each other once every six months. Or was it only him?

A sharp cry from the bundle of cloth nestled in his arms tore his attention away from his steadily darkening thoughts. The baby, _his baby holy shit_, had apparently decided he had had enough sleep for the day. His face all scrunched up with his round mandu like cheeks, Giyuu was ninety-nine percent certain he had the cutest kid in the world. The dull red eyes looking through him made something squeeze up in his chest. With the situation he had to go through, _block block block and lock_, it was a given there will be some detrimental effects on the developing fetus,_ inside him_. He shook his head, hard. It was so eerie thinking that he, as a man, had given birth to a child, had felt him grow inside him.

A soft fist thumping against his chest landed his attention back on his son.

He cupped one soft, round cheek in the palm of his hand, smoothing his son's unruly hair with his fingers. Name, he had yet to give him one. It was still pretty hard wrapping his head around the thought, of admitting what had happened, actually had happened. Unrealistic, abominable but here he was.

The baby fussed around, spit bubbles forming and dribbling down his gummy mouth. Giyuu sighed, a tinge of fondness enveloped in a thick layer of tiredness. Using a corner of his tattered haori-turned-shawl, he gently dabbed away at the saliva till his skin was dry.

They were practically homeless right now. Going back to his estate was out of the question considering he had a half-demon child, who was half Kibutsuji's genes and the Demon Slayer Corps certainly wouldn't let that slide. He could always go back to Urokodaki sensei's place. He knows that both of them will have the acceptance of the ex-hashira. Yet he can't. This fear, the anxiety of what has happened, what has been done and having a living breathing proof of it in his arms.

Feeling his breathing quickening and cold sweat breaking out on his back, Giyuu tried to force his mind away from the events he would do anything to erase from his memory.

As if sensing his parent's anguish, the baby squished himself closer, to be safe from the danger that had his caregiver reacting like that. He knew he was safe and protected as long as Giyuu was with him. The warm hand now splayed against his back, cemented the feeling of protection, coaxing him into a state of a light doze.


	2. Chapter 2

He was quiet. Babies were supposed to be loud menaces, constantly crying and screaming if they weren't sleeping. But his kid, he was so quiet and calm, like a lull- holy wow, Giyuu is a genius. Cradling his son closer against his chest, he felt his chapped lips twinge in slight pain from the stretch of a smile.

He had the perfect name for his kid.

"Nagi, nice right?" he asked with a small poke to his son's stomach.

The only response he got was a wide yawn.

"Sleepy?"

The bundle squirmed in his hold, small fingers with sharp nails catching on to the tattered remains of his haori and kneading as a cat would. He was getting thinner, Giyuu noted with worry. His arms were slowly losing their baby pudge, which wasn't ideal at all. While on the run getting any kind of food or milk was hard. Adding on that was the constant vigilance he had to maintain for some lackey of Muzan's catching up to them. With the way things were going, Giyuu suspected it wouldn't take much long before whatever was left of his luck ran out and he had to confront a demon with no way to effectively defend against it. Muzan wasn't going to leave Giyuu's Nichirin blade with him of course, he wasn't a dumbass, sadly.

He needed to decide what they were going to do next. Head off to some remote mountain and make their little home? Sounded nice but he knew he was in no capacity to do so. His mangled leg aside, he had no idea how he was going to raise Nagi alone with no guidance at all. He could probably wing it but he didn't want to harm his son by being an incompetent parent.

Add onto that, they couldn't travel during the day, not when it risked Nagi getting hurt by the sun. At night, it was the threat of the demons that kept him from venturing long distances through unknown territory.

As if damned by the Gods themselves, Giyuu's nose picked up a sudden influx of putrid scent that had alarm bells ringing through his head. Nagi squirmed around like a worm wrapped in clothes, feeling the sense of unease and fear oozing off his father's body.

"Shh, you're fine, don't worry,"

Rubbing a hand soothingly over his small back, Giyuu took a quick inventory of the stuff they had. A rusted sword he had foraged from the trash heap they had stumbled upon, a few stray berries, a bundle of nappies and some clothes a kind lady had given them and finally a milk bottle he had purchased using what meager money he had on him when he ran away from Muzan's mansion. He briefly wondered if he was going to die here and Nagi will get taken to be the next Demon King. A small foot kicking against his abdomen had his focus drawing back to the present and to what he needed to do.

Strapping Nagi securely against himself in a makeshift sling, he gathered their meager but necessary belongings, stuffing them in another makeshift sling using one of the clothes he had previously swaddled his son in. He picked up the sword, it was better than nothing though it was as useless against a demon as a bread loaf against a rock.

"I'll keep you safe, don't worry," he whispered to his son, caressing his face before fully covering him with cloth, leaving only a slight opening for air. Holding tight onto the sword's rugged hilt, he cautiously made his way out of the little cavity in the mountainside both of them had been camping out in.

The sun was gone and the forest was covered in darkness so impenetrable, Giyuu only had his sense of smell and hearing to guide him. He inhaled deeply through his nose, nearly gagging in reflex to the onslaught of the rotting smell. The demon was dangerously close by the strength of the smell.

Checking that Nagi was securely strapped for sure, Giyuu broke out into a sprint, well, as much of a sprint as could manage in his condition. What a pain. Literally.

To his right, he heard a slight rustle of leaves in the distance. It could be a random animal or even the wind but he wasn't taking any chances. Pivoting on his toes, he dashed off to his left, trying to make as much distance between them and the demon. Avoiding it was the safest strategy he had. Fighting would most certainly lead to their collective demise, which he wasn't going to risk at all.

He had to keep Nagi safe, at all costs.

The putrid scent persisted even after Giyuu had traveled a decent amount of distance. His leg was screaming in agony by this point, his makeshift bandage getting splotched by fresh red in multiple spots. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he tried to maintain a steady pace.

He couldn't risk getting caught, especially not if the demon was sent by Muzan.

Nagi wailed, scaring Giyuu out of his wits.

He cursed, sensing the surroundings stilling to an eerie quietness save for his son's cries, before the snapping of twigs and creaking of wood bending increased.

If not before, now the wretched spawn of hell knew for certain they were in the vicinity.

Nagi was sobbing, hard. Giyuu had no idea what happened. Did he get irritated by the constant jostling? Did the horrible smell scare him? Did he get hurt?

Shoving the sword through his belt, he used his now free hand to hold Nagi against him, shushing and rubbing his back while struggling to maintain pace and not stumble down to the forest floor.

"It'll be okay; I'll keep you safe,"

He knew they were empty reassurances, knew he stood no chance against a demon in his current state.

A self-deprecating chuckle huffed out past his trembling lips. Once a hashira, pledging to protect the whole populace and now he was barely able to protect his kid.

Using his thumb he rubbed the big, rolling tears off Nagi's face. The chest-shuddering sobbing was now reduced to heavy sniffles and occasional cries, "What happened, hmm? Are you scared?"

A sharp growl came from somewhere behind them, making Giyuu duck instinctively, successfully avoiding a lashing arm that would've smacked his head off his shoulders.

He cursed out loud, his hold tightening around the small body in his hold.

He hadn't expected the wretch to sneak up on them this fast! He panicked, his thoughts went haywire. Nagi was in his dominant arm, the sword uselessly hanging off his belt. He had to evade the demon's next attack all the while trying to make some distance between them.

He was going to die, he thought with an all encasing feel of dread. As if to agree, his leg gave out.

Losing his balance, he tumbled down roughly to the ground, trying his best to protect his baby from any injury. Small hands dug into his shoulder, a shrill scream right in his ear making his head split up in pain.

The demon raised his humongous palm above its flattened head, bringing it down upon the pair on the ground. The earth shuddered with the impact, a crater forming where his palm hit.

But there was no feeling of warm blood against his hand as he had expected. Trying to sense the presence of his prey in the dark, he focused on feeling for motion around him.

A sharp inhale to the right of where his palm had indented the ground had him grinning in triumphant. Without giving them any time to react, he used his thumb and forefinger to smack the human, hard.

A satisfying scream and thwack of an impact had him salivating; a warm meal after so long.

Giyuu wheezed through the pain, it hurt so bad. Nagi was quiet. He couldn't see his face due to the darkness of the moonless night. He didn't feel nice about the unresponsiveness from him all of a sudden.

In his peripheral he saw the huge shape of the demon ambling towards them at a leisurely pace, probably thinking they were dead. In a last-ditch effort to save their lives, he threw his body off to the side, trying to gain a bit of momentum, to run.

But what he didn't register was the lack of level ground on his side, the ledge that led down into the deep dark valley. The one he conveniently threw himself off of and proceeded to fall.

The rawr of rage from the demon was the last thing he heard before his head smacked hard against a rock jutting out off the mountain relief.

* * *

Urokodaki Sakonji was making dinner when the loud rawr of a demon pierced through the quiet surroundings. He sighed tiredly. Why couldn't they just give him some respite from their human devouring antics?

Taking his sword off its holder he left to slay another one of these regular menaces. He thought retirement would bring him some peace, some rest, but noooo. These vile creatures just had to destroy a peaceful evening.

He started ascending the mountain with practiced ease, lost in his thoughts. Nearly halfway to the place where he presumed the demon was, his nose caught the metallic scent of blood, followed by a shrill cry.

A crying kid? This late in this area? His place was ways away from any major roads or pathways, so hearing a kid crying near this unfrequented path spelled all kinds of wrongs.

Slaying the demon comes later, he had to first check on the injured. Rushing through the rocky slopes, Urokodaki made his way to where the incessant wailing was coming from. There was another scent, a strangely familiar one that he quite wasn't able to place due to the overpowering scent of the blood and sheer wave of anguish and worry wafting off from the source of the cries.

The nearer he was to his destination, the more the scent bugged him. He had a slight inkling to whose scent it was but that was- it was impossible. Not wanting to raise his hopes high only to get them brutally squashed, the tengu masked man darted over rocks and overgrown weeds, making haste towards the high pitched wailing.

Though when he did reach the place, he wasn't ready for the sight he was confronted with. He recognized that yellow-green haori. The source of the cries was a haphazardly swaddled baby lying on the chest of-

Urokodaki rushed to his protégé's side. His supposed-to-be dead protégé. His breath involuntarily hitched in his chest, a wave of tears springing up to his eyes. With a shaking hand, he held the other's wrist, half-crying half-laughing when he found a pulse. A weak one, but it was there.

"Giyuu?" He gingerly ran his hand through his back from the dead student's hair, trying to feel where the source of bleeding was. Almost immediately he felt a long gash on the side of Giyuu's head, blood gushing out freely and staining the rock his head rested on in a deep crimson red.

Surprisingly enough, the baby was now quiet. His eyes were half-lidded, resting calmly on Giyuu's torso.

Urokodaki didn't want to disturb him but he had to patch his protege up as soon as possible. He was alive- for God's sake, he was _alive_! He wouldn't let anything take Giyuu away from him anymore, not when he had found him again. He checked for other injuries, took note of them before unwrapping the makeshift sling off his student and wrapping it around his back. He securely deposited the child inside, soothing him when the baby fussed at being disturbed from his rest. Tearing off one sleeve of his haori, he used it as a bandage to wrap around Giyuu's head, picking him up in his arms, adjusting him so his head rested comfortably in the crook of Urokodaki's neck, getting proper support.

The demon would be dealt with tomorrow, for now, his only focus was on treating his student and his surprise, little look-alike.

A not-so-human, surprise, little look-alike.

It's been months, more than a year since he had gotten any news about Giyuu after his kidnapping at the hands of the first demon. More than a year since he was declared dead to the world. Now, like some weird miracle, he was here, in his arms, living, and breathing and _warm_. Though that last one was quickly changing due to the sheer amounts of blood he had lost and was losing.

Darting through the rocky slopes and tall trees, Urokodaki took a moment to appraise his student's physical condition. He was light, nearing the brink of malnutrition as it appeared with hollow cheeks and a dull, deathly pallor to his skin. His leg was hanging off weirdly, stained with blood oozing through dirty bandages. That's going to be a rough one to treat, Urokodaki thought with a grimace, fearing the infection that would've set in long ago.

The child strapped on his back let out a laugh when a particularly high jump had the sling moving, rocking the baby inside. The sudden, joyous laugh worked like a cleanser, making his focus snap away from the negatives and to the sheer joy he felt on having his kid back. Holding the limp body firmly against his chest, Urokodaki vowed to himself to never fail his kids again, whatever it may take.

TBC

**Y'all don't know the near-fatal levels of cringe I had when I saw and went through my old fics. My mangled children whom I love to hate ugh**


	3. Chapter 3

More than a week later...

For the first time in a long while Giyuu woke up somewhere that was not some damp cave or a nest of leaves and twigs, without any licks of dreadful nightmares-memories, his brain oh so kindly supplied-roughly jerking him out of sleep. He took note of his surroundings, registering the familiar scent and wooden interior of the house he spent the whole of his training years in. Nagi was lying beside him on the futon, suckling lazily on his bottle's nipple. He didn't look as if he was in any kind of pain or discomfort so that was one worry off his head.

Now that he came to his head, he felt the tightly wrapped bandages and the bold throbbing somewhere on the side of his skull. The more he tried to find the exact source of his obvious injury the more it started to hurt so instead he directed his attention to his son who seemed the most playful Giyuu had seen him since their escape. So playful that he launched the entirety of his empty bottle at the masked man who entered the room. A real familiar tengu-masked man.

"Sensei?"

Oh wow did his throat feel like sandpaper.

Nagi squealed when he heard his parent's voice, flailing his limbs around trying to find where he was. His foot struck Giyuu's abdomen, his hand following the direction and latching onto his hair. He tried to pull himself as close to him as could, expressing his joy by babbling loudly, calling out to his father.

"Don't move,"

Urokodaki's firm words had Giyuu lying still, watching as his teacher carefully picked his son up and laid him on his chest.

"You're hurt, don't move and aggravate your injuries more,"

Giyuu would've nodded in reply if not for his teacher's hand coming to rest on his neck. He shot the man a questioning look while adjusting Nagi so his the baby's came to rest comfortably under his collar bones.

" The fever has gone down considerably," he heard the older man mumble, his hand leaving his neck and going to Nagi's mop of unruly black hair, patting them down while the baby chewed on the border of Giyuu's upper clothes, soaking them with his saliva.

After dealing with Muzan and his lieu of mood swings Giyuu was proud to say he had advanced his ability to read emotions and situations like a champ. And the feels he was gauging from his teacher certainly weren't ones of happiness.

He rubbed little circles on Nagi's back, squeezing him against his torso, calming his overly joyous son.

"I was so scared Giyuu," Urokodaki began, seemingly struggling with his words, "Your monthly letters suddenly stopped coming and when I tried to contact the Demon Slayer corps all I got was an 'investigation is underway' with no further information, I just- I-," his throat felt choked. Whatever he had wanted to say was lost in his muddled up head and all that came forth was the sheer relief at having his kid safe, breathing and in front of him.

" Sen-,"

Giyuu coughed, his throat dry and itchy. The coughing triggered a pounding ache in his head, causing him to hiss in pain. Nagi, being the ever perceptive baby he was, went quiet. His parent was hurt, the other nice man was also hurt, which made him feel scared. He let his feelings be known by hiding his face in the folds of his father's kimono, going still and silent.

Urokodaki hastily fetched a cup of already warmed water for Giyuu, helping him drink it in small sips with a spoon, "Tanjirou's letters arrived, he told me about Muzan and your kidnapping, came to visit with Nezuko. They-," Urokodaki took a deep breath, forcing away the lump in his throat, "The Demon Slayer Corps stopped the investigation on the sixth month, they said it was futile, that you were dead! They-they found your remains-,"

"W-what?"

"Ashes, Giyuu. With your blade, your blood, a-and your haori. I thought, I-I,"

Nagi cried out, sensing his father's tumultuous feelings. He reached up to lay his head right where he could sense his parent's heart the strongest, crying to express his worry.

" Shh, it's okay. Isn't time for your nap Nagi? Everything is okay,"

Urokodaki looked as his student effortlessly calmed the child, soothing him, patting him till he was relaxed, valuing the child's needs over his own.

"He is yours, isn't he Giyuu?"

Giyuu visibly tensed, his arms wrapping around the once again agitated baby.

"Giyuu?" Urokodaki called out worriedly, noticing the quick and harsh rise and fall of his chest.

"Please, don't,"

Nagi was wailing by now, making Urokodaki regret his question but he needed to know. He needed the information so he could protect them from the dangers that were sure to come. He needed to know so he knew from whom he had to keep them safe from, whether it be the demons or the demon slayers.

"Don't - don't take him away, please!"

"Giyuu, no one is taking him away from you, I won't allow them to." He pressed his hand on Giyuu's forehead, tapping his fingers in tandem with his heartbeat, "He is your kid right?"

Closing his eyes in a bid to calm himself, he tried to match his breathing with his teacher's, the taps and pressure on his forehead anchoring him down to reality, away from the dark storm in his head.

Multiple pairs of hands holding him down as he screamed.

The excruciating pain of his body being torn open.

The seemingly constant humiliation at the hands of those demons.

He felt twin drops of moisture leak out from behind his tightly closed eyelids, cascading down the sides of his head and disappearing in his loose hair.

That was the dam breaker.

It was akin to an out of body experience. He saw more than felt as a torrent of tears and harsh sobs escaped his body, how he held Nagi as close to himself as he could, turning on his side so he could cover him up as much as possible, to keep him safe, keep his son with him.

"N-Nagi is m-my son, m-mine, no one else's! Not that d-d-demon's, mine!"

As if to agree, Nagi snuggled in deeper against his father's chest, his hands digging in the folds of his kimono.

"Yours Giyuu, he is yours, it's going to be okay now, I promise,"

It was as if all the anguish of the past years was catching up to him, tearing through his nerves like a rapid wave, leaving him feeling doused and drained yet somehow refreshed. He latched onto his teacher's kimono, holding onto him as he cried, seeking comfort from someone who had rescued him at his weakest before, who had raised him and now again, providing him and his son a place to belong, to feel safe, to call home.

"You don't have to be scared anymore Giyuu, I won't let anyone take Nagi from you,"

"T-thank you, I-thank you so much," And thankful he was. Giyuu had, somewhere in the dark recesses of his mind, given up on being able to live longer than a few months. It just wasn't realistically possible. They had nowhere to go, no money, no shelter, no protection. They had been bidding their time before Muzan got tired of his game and finally exterminated Giyuu for good, taking Nagi with him for whatever he may have planned for his son. But now, now they had some semblance of hope. Now he had someone who could take care of Nagi in case something happened to him, a trustworthy person to raise his son in his stead.

Urokodaki smiled, patting his student's head, being careful of his injury, "You don't know how happy I was when I saw you again, alive. You were hurt so bad, you weren't waking up, I thought I was going to lose you again, right in front of me," his hand stilled in his hair, "Don't do that to me again Giyuu, I don't want to lose another child of mine. Not you."

All Giyuu could do in return was pull himself even closer to his teacher, taking care not to agitate his mended leg any more than he already had. Nagi sniffled loudly, using his hands to rub his wet and itchy eyes.

"Nagi, huh?" Urokodaki asked with a soft smile hidden behind his mask, using a clean cloth to gently wipe the baby's face clean of residual moisture from his tears, snot, and saliva.

Giyuu nodded in reply, tickling the baby lightly, making him erupt in giggles. He smiled.

"It fits him, perfectly."


	4. Chapter 4

Winter was approaching, and winter meant warm clothes. Putting his knitting needles down, Giyuu assessed his somewhat crudely made woolen hat. At least it didn't have a second opening on the top of the head like one of his previous attempts. Nagi was sprawled out on their futon, chewing on a toy the kind vegetable lady had gifted him, unaware of his father's intentions. Cautiously making his way over to his distracted son, as soon as Nagi was within his reach he picked up the little boy and laid him down in his lap. Nagi, of course, became fussy. He knew what was coming and didn't like it one bit. He wanted to play but his papa kept making him try on different, scratchy things.

Taking the small woolen beanie in one hand, Giyuu carefully held Nagi still and put it on his head, making sure to cover his little ears. It was a little loose and he spotted at least four random astray threads but it was doing its job. He booped his son's scrunched up nose, "Don't take it off again, you'll get sick if you don't stay warm."

Though there were bigger issues that winter brought than your local sniffles and colds. Winter meant less sun, less sun meant more demons. More demons, of course, spelled a mountain load of trouble. There was only so much he could do with a normal blade and Urokodaki sensei wasn't getting any younger. Granted he was as fit as a bull but old age had its effect one way or the other. His thinning hair, the cracking of his joints, the dark smudges under his eyes and that slight near-constant trembling of his hands; Giyuu noticed them all no matter how much his guardian tried to pose otherwise.

Nagi thumped his hands on his father's chest, wanting his attention.

"Aren't you a demanding little boy hmm; want to play?"

In answer Nagi fisted his father's yukata and promptly stuck his mouth on the cloth, humming delightedly.

"Hey now Nagi, you've your chew toy right?" As gently as he could, Giyuu pried his son's sharp fanged teeth from the cloth he was mutilating. Nagi whined, gurgling something intelligible but fully expressing his dismay.

"You can't keep putting holes in my clothes," All he received in reply was a head butt on his chest before the baby ungracefully tumbled down from his lap, thumping around on the floor to find his play-place.

Giyuu smiled, watching the crudely made wool ball on top of the beanie bounce with his son's movement. Cute was an understatement. He crawled over to Nagi's side, silently guiding him by tapping his fingers on the matted floor. Nagi visibly perked up at the sound, babbling and laughing when reached where the sound was coming from and found his futon. Two warm hands grabbed him from the back and he once again found himself in his father's arms. Now that was just rude, he had worked so hard to find his play-place and his father just had to pick him right now. He puffed his cheeks out, preparing to give the mightiest of screeches he could when one of the hands pushed his head against his father's chest, followed by a peck on his forehead. So he went quiet, still like a lake, focusing on the strong beat he could hear and feel.

"You did so well Nagi-ah, papa is proud of you."

Another peck on his cheek and Nagi smiled, toothless gums on full display. Has Giyuu already mentioned that cute was an understatement for his son? Because it is. Nestling his head comfortably in the crook of his father's neck and shoulder, he breathed out, his body going lax, fully supported by Giyuu's hold.

Carefully, Giyuu stood up, taking care not to jostle Nagi around too much. Erratic movement frazzled the baby up. Giyuu guessed it was most probably due to their time surviving in the wilderness. God, it hurt just thinking back, how much fear Nagi must've felt, unable to make sense of the world, constantly cocooned in the sheets and always on the run from danger. Heck, the first "people" he ever came in contact were those ruthless demons who didn't provide them with milk just to see how long and loud the newborn would cry. Unconsciously he pulled the little body closer to himself, hiding his watery eyes against the woolen garment.

He wanted to do everything he could for his son, give him a happy life, tons of toys to play, sweets to eat, play in the grass, chase random bunnies as he and Sabito used to do, maybe adopt a cat? But all he had managed to do was nearly starve him to death, got thrown off a mountain, pursued by demons and the list just went on and on and on. _What a great father he was._

Uncontrollable shudders rankled through his body as he unwillingly let his mind down those memories. Those nights spent chained to the wall in that dark, cold, damp cell. The demonic energy constantly suffocating him, those strong demons with their sharp teeth, the hits, stabs, burns, the shame- "Oh no, no, nononoono,"

Giyuu tried to shout for Urokodaki in hopes that the man was nearby but all that came out was a wheeze. Nagi shuffled in his trembling hands so he tightened his hold, "I'msorry, sorryI'msorry," His knees buckled under him, and unable to steady himself, Giyuu fell down in a heap. Nagi cried out, dissolving into wet sobs.

He had hurt his son, his son was crying because _Giyuu had hurt him._

A sharp sting in chest spread throughout his body, leaving a numbing prickly sensation.

"Nagi," he tried to say but nothing came out. His son was sobbing in his arms, holding Giyuu's hand, wanting comfort, but all Giyuu could do was lay there useless and angry on himself.

Multicolored dots danced in his vision so he tried to wave them off, but his body wasn't co-operating. A whine of frustration left his gasping lips, how much more could he fail? As if to answer him, he heard growling come from somewhere outside. He felt Nagi go still on the tatami mats, his little body constricting in fetal shape just like how he used to do back there, back when those demons took Giyuu away from his son to-to-

A strangled cry tore out from his throat. He didn't want to remember, he wanted to forget all of that, _erase it_.

The growling came again, now louder and multiple.

His son was scared, he could feel it waft off his body, from the way he was so quiet. Giyuu forced his breathing to a somewhat normal pattern, still gasping but not feeling like he was thrust out somewhere with no air to breathe. With all the power he could muster, he pushed his trembling, sweat-slicked body off the damp mats.

Nagi whimpered pitifully, urging his father to come and comfort him. He was feeling so scared, he wanted his papa to hold him, to tell him that he was here for Nagi and that he loved him. The growling came again but, thankfully, so did his father's hand on his cheek.

Giyuu smiled tiredly, watching his son nuzzled into his hand, holding onto his fingers with his small hands and visibly calming down. "I'm sorry for being so-_ow!_" He was barely able to repress the instinct to pull his hand back lest his son's head hit the floor with a thump. _He had already hurt him enough_, he thought angrily to himself.

But coming to the situation at hand, literally, Nagi had just bit him and there were potentially human eating hounds out there. Joke's on them though, because no one present in this house was human. Well, entirely human.

Looking at his trembling legs he knew that trying to stand up was going to be a futile effort since he was going to just tumble right back down. Nagi was starting to fidget, pushing his body up and crawling over to Giyuu's lap. He laid his head on his father's thigh, sighing in relief when a hand came to adjust him in a more comfortable position.

Now, the hounds. Noting the absence of growls and barks, maybe they went away or…

The opening of the main entrance signaled the arrival of their guardian.

"I'm back! Are you and Nagi okay Giyuu? I heard some howls and barks on my way back,"

"Welcome back sensei,"

Placing the bag containing groceries on the small kitchen table with the other utensils, Urokodaki went to the room that was now designated as Giyuu and Nagi's.

"Tomorrow night there is- Giyuu? What happened?"

Rushing over to his student's side, he inspected his disheveled state, taking in his messed up hair and the dried tear tracks on his face, "Giyuu?"

The man in question ducked his head down, rubbing Nagi's back to keep him calm. A nap was overdue anyway, he thought, drying away the moisture still clinging to his son's eyelashes.

"I hurt Nagi,"

"What?"

"I-yeah. He-I made him cry, I-,"

Urokodaki clamped his hands down on Giyuu's shoulders, urging him to face him, "Giyuu, look at me," When he didn't; he held his chin and gently raised his student's head till he could clearly see his eyes, "What happened? Was it the hounds Giyuu?"

"…No,"

He had a fairly good idea of what had happened since it had happened before too. These attacks, they came at seemingly random times, out of nowhere and left his protégé a withering mess. He breathed in deeply, waiting a bit before letting it out. "Giyuu," he started, not continuing till the other made eye contact with him, "It isn't your fault,"

"I-Nagi, he- I nearly crushed him under my weight!"

Ah, so he must've been holding Nagi when the attack came, Urokodaki could understand why he was blaming himself but he was also aware of his student's stupendous tendency to self-loath, "But he didn't get hurt did he? You protected him right?"

"I-,"

"Giyuu,"

Giyuu fell silent. Urokodaki heaved a tired sigh, using one hand to brush Giyuu's unruly bangs back, exposing his forehead and the scar that marred it on the side.

"Whatever shall I do to make you understand,"

They had had this conversation, multiple times.

Giyuu felt his breath hitch.

"Let yourself have the time you need to heal. I understand what you want to say, I do and I know Nagi could've gotten hurt but kid, you're healing, cut yourself some slack, please." As if to drive his point home, he ruffled his hair up into an even bigger mess making his student squawk in surprise.

Nagi giggled from where he was lying half on his father's lap, squealing loudly when a finger lightly poked his belly where it tickled.

"Aren't you an energetic little boy, huh Nagi? Oh! Is that a new little hat? Did your papa make it Nagi-chan?"

Nagi babbled in equal enthusiasm, punctuating his words with waving arms and kicking legs.

Giyuu watched the scene with a sense of relief. Sensei was his anchor, tethering him to his sanity. Watching him play with Nagi as a grandfather would with their grandchild; he swallowed past the growing lump in his throat. It was a strangely pleasing thought.

"Ah right, tonight there is a lantern festival in the village. I was thinking maybe we should go, hm what do you think Giyuu?"

"But Nagi," he left the sentence hanging because what he wanted to say was already conveyed. His son was a half-demon, or maybe more or maybe less, yet still, a demon. Taking him amongst other humans? That didn't sound safe.

"Will be alright. He is such a calm, and nice boy, aren't you Nagi?" a gurgle was all he got in reply. Giyuu took the little cloth piece attached to his son's yukata to wipe off his rampant saliva, "And we do need to get him accustomed to other humans,"

Giyuu knew his teacher was right yet still there was a growing sense of unease in the pit of his stomach. Though with a sense of renewed confidence he thought, what more could happen to worsen the day?

Answer? _Shinazugawa fukin Sanemi._


	5. Chapter 5

Hiding away his newly minted sword inside the folds of his yukata, Giyuu did a mental inventory if he had everything they might require for their outing. Nagi was clothed in the warmest clothes they had for him, including his beanie, Giyuu had pre-filled and packed away a bottle of milk, along with some extra nappies and a pair of extra clothes. Urokodaki sensei had packed some snacks for them too and promptly decided that he'll be the one to carry his grandson down the mountain and introduce him to all the village folk.

Giyuu would be lying if he said he didn't feel tears building up in his eyes. Dang, this parenting stuff had really made him a crybaby again.

Currently, Nagi was all mellowed out and snuggling against his grandpa's stomach, napping in his soft blanket. The way down the mountain was long and tiring, the danger of demons imminent, and it would be good if the baby spent it asleep. Giyuu didn't want him to encounter any demon ever again.

"The sun is gone Giyuu, I think it's safe to depart,"

Giyuu nodded in reply, hoisting up the little satchel on his shoulder before following his teacher out of their home. "I'll lock the door, you can start heading down sensei,"

"Don't slack behind," and off he went, dashing down.

Giyuu huffed out a chuckle when he heard Nagi's quickly fading squeal of delight. There went his plan of having him asleep for the majority of the journey. Checking and re-checking if everything was securely closed, and ensuring no wild mutts could enter and ransack their place as they attempted mere hours earlier, he headed down the path that leads to the village.

It was dark, but it wasn't the eerie silent dark punctuated with the feeling of death-lurking-in-the-shadows that he and his son had sadly become accustomed to. Nor was it the forest-scape that perpetually haunted him in his sleep. This forest was alive with life. Some crickets here, some random croaking frogs by the little pond, and of course the flesh thirsty wild mutts howling in the distance.

If he looked hard through the dense foliage he could already spot the amber light emitting from where the village was situated, appearing as if it was a random dot amid the dark landscape currently surrounding him. Making haste, and not wanting to miss out on what his teacher had been planning, he burst out in a run, leaping over the rocks, jumping through the trees, suddenly feeling ecstatic for once in a long time.

He was glad he had agreed to go to the festival.

* * *

Scratch that, he regretted his decision a heck load. Soothing a fussy Nagi in his hold while his sensei talked and tried to distract the prone-to-feral-tendencies wind hashira from spotting him and his son was certainly not how he had planned things to go.

He cursed mentally when his son's unseeing eyes started filling up with tears, "What happened baby? Are you tired, hmm? Want to rest?"

Quickly touching and feeling his butt he found the nappy to be dry, so that was one worry off. Nagi had mere moments ago finished his bottle of milk and had been burped, so that was settled too. Giyuu wrangled his brain for any other possible reason why his son was so uncomfortable but as fate would've it before he could do any damage control a sharp wail rang out from Nagi's little peanut body.

And of course, he was spotted right away, of fucking course.

"TOMIOKA!?"

Cue instant panic.

In his peripheral Giyuu spotted Urokodaki-sensei hold Shinazugawa back providing Giyuu with the opportunity to dart away into the back alleys with his son. From past experiences, he knew that the Wind hashira wouldn't take kindly to half-demons, even if they were as harmless as Nagi was.

Hence he ran, away from the festival, away from the village, as far as his body could manage. Nagi had gone still and quiet the second he had registered the spike in his father's heart rate. Of course, he had, Giyuu thought derisively, his son was far too used to such situations.

"Tomioka! Stop right there!"

Nagi was trembling in fear yet Giyuu could only hug him tighter and pray they would make it out of this alive.

If running was futile, then as much as he didn't want to, he had to fight. He needed to fend off Shinazugawa, distract him, to give sensei an opportunity to take Nagi somewhere safe, where no one would be able to harm him.

Sighing heavily, and not sparing the hashira any acknowledgment, Giyuu first focused on his sobbing son. By the heavy footfalls heading his way he knew there was no escape and trying anything was only going to irritate his son further. So he didn't.

He was tired of constantly running away for his life.

"Tomioka!"

The wind hashira skidded to a stop, barely avoiding a nasty collision with the father-son duo. Urokodaki was hot on his heels, coming to a stop right behind the hashira, ready to strike if need be.

For a few moments, all of them stood in silence, their thoughts way too rampant to put out anything verbally.

"How the fuck are you alive!?"

Shinazugawa Sanemi, such a lovely, caring man.

He visibly sniffed the air around him before his gaze locked down straight on the wiggling bundle in Giyuu's arms, "Are you raising demons now!?"

Within such close proximity with a definitely hostile force, there was only so much Giyuu could do without risking a sword driven straight through his gut.

"W-what are you doing here, Shinazugawa-san?"

"You're asking ME!? What the fuck are YOU doing here!? Raising demons and shit!?"

Giyuu inched back a bit, massaging Nagi's arm lightly to soothe him.

"If you were alive all this while, why didn't you report back to the corps!?" He decidedly looked at Nagi before shaking his head in a condescending manner, "All allies of those wretched demons are our enemies. I hope you have not forgotten, Tomioka,"

Giyuu felt his breath hitch. He did remember that; remembered all the other policies that allowed Shinazugawa to kill him and Nagi right this second, to taint all the years Urokodaki sensei had spent in service, putting his life on the line, training new demon slayers; all risk getting marred by the word 'traitor'. All because he took in Giyuu and his son.

He had no idea what to do, how to protect his kid, his sensei. Both of them were going to suffer the repercussions of his lacking ability to fend off a measly demon.

If only he had managed to kill that demon who ended up dragging his body to Muzan's doorstep.

If only he had the common sense to kill himself the moment he became aware of his pregnancy, to save his child from his decidedly tragic fate.

If only he had the sense to think before approaching and endangering his sensei.

If only he had said no, made one sensible decision and not go to the festival.

"TOMIOKA!"

"Stop yelling, Shinazugawa-san!"

Urokodaki had sensed the moment Giyuu's mind went spiraling out of his body. The Wind Pillar's yelling was only going to worsen his already deteriorating state.

Side-stepping the white-haired man, he approached his student with deliberately obvious movements, letting him know that he wasn't a solitary soldier. Gently taking the spooked out baby from his hold, making it a point to reassure him that he was not taking his kid anywhere, he led Giyuu off the dirt path and into the grassy clearing.

"Sit down," He punctuated his words with a gentle push on Giyuu's trembling shoulders, urging him to sit against the tree behind him.

"Hey! We wer-,"

"He isn't in any state to respond to your interrogation, give him some time."

Sanemi growled under his breath, mumbling about wasted time and wretched demons, before suddenly dropping down to the ground to sit down too. What use was standing and wasting his energy while the bunch of traitors had their sob-fest?

Ignoring the Wind Pillar's antics, Urokodaki focused on the situation at hand. Ensuring that Giyuu was sitting comfortably, he gently lowered Nagi in his lap.

The moment Nagi touched his legs, Giyuu held his hand and used his other hand to prop up his head so he was comfortable. His son's sharp nails dug into his thumb, creating small pinpricks that let out little beads of blood.

The slight but sharp sting helped him re-orient himself. The sensation of the small weight, the strong grip on his thumb, the feeling of soft strands of hair and the strong pulse he felt in his son's neck; all combined together to ground him back, reminded him of his priority, the one who relied on him.

He took deep breaths, trying to dislodge the disorienting heavy-light feeling pulsating in his body.

Looking down at his son, his gaze locked on his eyes, unseeing yet knowing.

"N-agi," he called, his throat still feeling tight.

The fist around his thumb tightened in response.

"You 'kay?"

Nagi kicked out his leg against Giyuu's torso, his new anklet tinkling with the motion.

"He's a strong boy, hmm, aren't you Nagi?" Urokodaki said, poking one chubby cheek softly, eliciting a gummy smile and a slew of coos from the strong boy in question.

A rude scoff burst their peaceful bubble quite rudely. Not wanting Nagi to get upset again, Giyuu bounced his leg lightly. Easily distracted, the baby was none the wiser to the hostile entity seating and glaring their way.

"How much more long are you gonna keep me waiting like some dumb chicken, huh? I need answers!"

Urokodaki had half a mind to give the rude a hashira a thorough scolding but the precarious position they were in with the authorities right now, he didn't want to risk it any further.

Giyuu faced his ex-coworker, taking care not to let his body respond in a negative manner to alert Nagi, "I- what-uh," he, frankly, had no idea where to begin with and what to tell the other man.

Sanemi shook his head slightly, rubbing the bridge of his nose as if telling Giyuu he was hopeless. In a kinder tone, he went, "Why do you have a demon kid with you, Tomioka? Where were you gone all these months?"

The closer he looked at his ex-co-worker, the more he noticed signs of prolonged captivity. The discolored scars on his wrists and ankles, the gauntness of his body, his untamable hair with a significant increase in length, the awkward way he walked and more than obvious lack of life , as if he was simply a husk of a body moving around. And that little show with suddenly going unresponsiveness, as if someone closed the shutters on his brains.

Contrary to the obvious sentiment, Sanemi did have some compassion inside him.

Tomioka was an annoying, irritating, despicable thorn in his side; what with his weird aborted attempts at making talk that never failed to make the whole situation awkward and all 'I'm better than you lot and don't associate with your kind' distancing. But Sanemi was loathed to admit that the other man's random offerings of food at random moments had made him somewhat endure (and endear) the mismatched haori's presence.

Suddenly losing that one day had had such an overwhelmingly distressing effect on him, Sanemi had gone on a wild hunt for a week straight before he was dragged off to the Butterfly House from some ditch in the wilderness.

After months of futile search and fights with pesky demons, new information sprung up.

Tomioka Giyuu was taken hostage by Muzan with no current demands specified. The information coming from an Upper Moon demon did hold a certain amount of credibility.

Hence began the preparation for war with the ever-looming threat of the water pillar's demise hanging over their heads.

But then came Uzui, holding a familiar tattered piece of cloth dyed a dirty brown and crusty with the wearer's blood, bearing signs of multiple stabs. Then fell out the broken blade and with that, the morale of the Corps preparing for the fight.

Sanemi had claimed that that didn't prove that Tomioka was dead, and so did many others, the most prominent voices being the Tanjirou kid and his sister.

So an investigation team consisting of Kochou, Iguro, and Uzui was sent to re-evaluate the place where Uzui had happened upon the articles.

A week passed and in came the three hashira, all grim featured. The scream of despair escaping the Kamado kid was what sent the clear message striking across everyone's face.

The water hashira was dead; it was near impossible to have survived if the amount of blood was to go by. Another chilling detail to add was that Iguro had spotted ashes. On inspecting further, it was found that it was the water hashira's ashes.

If the way the blonde boy had stepped in front of the half-demon Kamado girl was anything to go by, then Sanemi was sure that the others had also arrived at the same conclusion broiling in his brain.

Muzan had turned the pillar into a demon, and on possibly failing to tame him, eliminating him.

Some believed it, some didn't. Sanemi was in the latter. What followed were weeks of him and other demon slayers going out to hunt demons and shake them till they puked out information. Yet all they had on their tainted lips was wretched words repeating the same words, "That puny half-demon? He was such a fun thing to play with! Sad that he died, isn't it?"

At the six month mark, Oyakata-sama had made the official declaration. A collective mourning ceremony was held.

Sanemi didn't go.

"Nagi is my son,"

Sanemi's thoughts screeched to a resounding halt. The statement took a moment to register, but when it did, he couldn't help the loud "WHAT!?" that escaped his mouth.

He felt a little ashamed when the baby started wailing but it was a demon, apparently spawned by Tomioka, so not much harm was done.

Tomioka glared at him, which he returned in kind before the other man got distracted in soothing his son .

"With whom?"

Tomioka visibly tensed. He had hit the nail right on the head it appeared.

"You don't need to answer that Giyuu," the old man spoke up, his tengu mask not inhibiting his obvious aura that screamed ill-circumstances for Sanemi if he trudged further down that line of questions. But it made him all the more curious.

"I-," Tomioka started and then stopped. It was so reminiscent of him that Sanemi couldn't stop himself.

"I'm glad you're not dead…fuck," the two water breathing practitioners were gobsmacked, staring wide-eyed at the sudden change in demeanor, "fuck fuck f-FUCK YOU TOMIOKA SERIOUSLY!"

"I-We searched everywhere! All those months! And then what do I get to know!?"

Tomioka was slack-jawed by now, staring weirdly at him with this dull-bright gaze, it infuriated Sanemi to no ends.

"That you DIED! Muzan killed you! Yet we searched more! And more!" his breath was getting choppier, ragged with emotion pouring out of him, "If you were alive all this while pray tell me, WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU CONTACT US!?"

Giyuu looked down at his son sucking on the pacifier Urokodaki sensei has so kindly placed in his mouth, half-asleep.

"I-I was scared,"

"What?"

"Its-ugh,"

"Giyuu, you don't have to tell anything you don't wa-,"

"It's Muzan,"

Sanemi stared at him, "What do you me-,"

"Nagi's father. It's-," Instantly nausea overcame him. Urokodaki sensed what was happening and immediately, but gently, took Nagi off Giyuu's legs so he could wretch out whatever contents his stomach had.

"Shh, you're safe now, it's okay," rubbing and patting his back to help clear his airways Urokodaki kept on muttering little assurances to him.

Sanemi felt numb, he felt stupid and weirdly nauseous. He had no response; it was like those few words had completely booted down his cognitive processes.

"…What the ever-living fuck?"

He had never encountered such bullshit before.


	6. Chapter 6

Sanemi was weirded the fuck out. Here he was, in a small sitting area having tea with a colleague he had thought dead, his demonic spawn and an old man who was the revered ex water hashira even Ubuyashiki respected.

And it was silent. Dead. Fucking. Silent.

One moment more and Sanemi was going to pull his hair out.

"Ahem,"

Oh, thank whatever the deity was up there for this divine intervention.

"Shinazugawa-san," Urokodaki began speaking, placing his empty cup down on the wooden tray by his side, "What do you intend to do now?"

"Ideally, slay the spawn of Mu-fucking-zan and be done with it," The impressive glare Urokodaki aimed his way was felt even through the mask obstructing his view, "but I know you lot are going to be a huge pain in the butt if I dare look that demon the wrong way so next best option is for me to arrest you all and drag you to the headquarters so they can decide what to do,"

Giyuu simply pursed his lips and continued feeding his son. His heart was hammering in his chest, so loud, he was surprised the others haven't sensed it yet. Or if they did, they didn't show it.

He had to do something.

The way Shinazugawa refused to even acknowledge his Nagi as an innocent child was setting a bleak precedent for what Giyuu thought was sure to come.

Noticing that his son was deep in throes of sleep, he silently stood up and excused himself to his room, away from the conversation discussing the pros and cons of letting his son live as if he was not worthy of being given a chance.

On one hand, Giyuu could see where Sanemi was coming from, but Nezuko was a prime living example of how not every demon was hell-bent on feasting on humans. Wasn't that enough to give them the benefit of doubt? To give Nagi a chance?

Apparently not, what with the amount of barely controlled yelling coming from the main sitting area.

Giyuu sighed, holding Nagi to his chest with one arm and laying out their futon and bedding with the other. Once everything was arranged to his satisfaction, he gently lowered the baby on his water-absorbent sheet, soothing him back to sleep when he became disturbed from the change in position.

Not wanting to leave his son alone, he went and sat over by the closed door, keeping his eyes on the sleeping child all the while trying to hear the conversation taking place outside. Apparently Sanemi had decided that they will depart at dawn towards the demon-slaying corps' headquarters.

Giyuu would rather not. He and his son hadn't struggled all this while to be shifted from one cage to another. He wanted Nagi to grow up in a loving environment, not someplace where one mistake will have his son be beheaded.

Decision made, Giyuu sat by the door till he was sure the other occupants of the house were deep asleep. He felt so guilty, so hateful that he was, in a way, ditching his sensei, robbing him of his grandson. But Nagi; Giyuu would rather die before he let anyone hurt one strand on his baby's head.

Quickly gathering what meager belongings they had accumulated over time in the small bag he uses to keep Nagi's daily necessities in and strapping his sword to his side, Giyuu was ready. He picked up his son, ensuring that he didn't bother him enough to wake him up.

Not minding that he was barefoot, he slowly propped the window open and climbed out.

Guess plan hideaway mountain cabin was a go.

As soon as his feet stabilized on the grassy ground, Giyuu made a run for it. The sooner he could create a significant distance between himself and the wind hashira, the better.

In his bid to escape, a certain Tomioka Giyuu had forgotten that he was essentially running into a death trap filled with demons and wild animals. In the middle of the night. Period.

His reminder came in the form of a pack of mutts who had effectively blocked his way. He got a feeling of strong déjà vu.

All the mutts were dead, their innards strewn about, limbs torn and flung about in trees. It was certainly a macabre scene. Giyuu should've paid heed to the red sirens flashing haphazardly in his brain. But his rational side wasn't working; all he was currently operating on was his instincts to protect his child. So he continued on, sidestepping the dead carcasses and stumbling his way into the deep, dark forest.

Wrong move.

Beneath the strong stench of the rotting dead was a smell he should've paid heed to. A smell that tainted his nights through the hyper-realistic night terrors he experienced.

* * *

Sanemi was absolutely livid. He should've suspected that the fucker was going to pull something like this.

He had woken up before the sun, as was his routine on days he didn't go on night hunts, and immediately sensed something amiss. Particularly, two sets of heartbeats.

Not giving any heed to any basic courtesies, he flung the door that lead to Tomioka's room open with a harsh smack against the sliding edge. As he had sensed, the room was devoid of its occupants.

Hearing the racket Urokodaki had come rushing over, expecting the worst only to find Shinazugawa yelling profanities as he picked his sword up and dashed out of the house.

Giyuu and Nagi were nowhere to be seen.

He entered the empty room, picking up a small half-knitted mitten lying near the open window.

He prayed, wanting his two kids to make it out alive and well.

And wept.

* * *

Giyuu could only struggle in vain against the strong grip choking him, barely able to breathe. The demon chortled in thinly veiled amusement, amusement he was deriving from playing with his prey.

"Damn you know you I never thought I was gonna say this to you but you got some guts, huh? Actually able to escape?" He laughed loudly at his own words, ignoring the struggling man he had pinned to the tree, "And with the kid? Man, that's some real shit show you pulled,"

Nagi was lying on the ground, crying amongst the roots and twigs pulling and scratching on his soft, baby skin.

"Do you realize" his grip tightened, "what your little stunt lead to?" The demon turned his body a bit sideways, displaying the long, deep scar running the length of his torso, "This. And I'll be damned if I didn't return the favor right back, ne?" As if to punctuate his sentence, he let go of Giyuu, who fell into a heap on the ground, struggling to let air through his visibly bruised airways.

He bent down to be on level with the teary-eyed man, caressing his cheek almost reverently, "You know, I always wondered how it's so weird that the little blind fuck was born defective, I mean, isn't that so unfair?" His hand snaked along the back of Giyuu's head, pulling on the dirty stands, "Why should he be alone? Aren't you his mother?"

Giyuu stiffened up when he felt a finger enter his right ear, looking dumbly at the malevolent eyes curved up in sheer glee.

"Aww are you scared?"

Without waiting for a response, he willed his nail to extend, effectively rupturing the delicate ear drum. The wail that rang through the previously silent forest had him smiling in ecstasy, "Ah, the good old days. How I missed playing with you. Not many humans are as fun as you are, you know?"

Not waiting for any response, he unceremoniously picked the man and slung him over his shoulder; grabbing the kid by the back his shirt, he got ready to depart to the demons' lair, "Don't worry, I've not forgotten to pay you ba-! What the fuck!?"

Giyuu was not going to go back there, no chance. He smacked his elbow against the demon's skull again, using his feet to land a strong kick in his groin while the idiot was still reeling from the shock from the strong hit on his head.

"You bitch!"

Giyuu winced from the new wave of pain and vertigo slamming inside his head but didn't stop his onslaught of attacks.

He barely registered the hand plucking him off his captor's shoulder and flinging him off. His back and head struck a tree, hard. But he had no time; his son was still in the demon's hold.

"TOMIOKAA!"

What perfect timing.

Seeing the demon getting ready to sprint off due to the oncoming dawn, Giyuu launched himself at his feet, effectively stopping him, "LET HIM GO!"

The demon growled in pure anger, trying to mercilessly kick him off, "I'm going to KILL YOU!"

So be it, but as long as Giyuu was alive, Nagi was not going back to that hellish place, "Let Nagi go!"

"Get the fuck off me!" No matter how many kicks he aimed the not-completely-human's way, he wasn't just budging. He could already hear the birds tweeting, signaling the arrival of the sun.

Sanemi finally made it to where they were, not waiting a bit before diving at the demon's head with his sword aimed for a lethal slash.

The demon, stuck and unable to move, did the only thing he could: he lifted the crying, half-human deformity in the path of the oncoming blade.

Giyuu screamed in pure anguish, instantly passing out from the sheer physical and psychological strain he had been put through in the last twenty-four hours.


	7. Chapter 7

Sanemi sighed for the umpteenth time since having woken up. Rather than going back to the ex-hashira's dwelling, he had decided to cut short to the chase and drag the father-son duo directly to the corps' headquarters.

Easier said than done.

The brat had spent the first couple hours constantly screeching, not minding if he scratched the same hands that held him. And boy did those heinously long nails hurt. The only thing that had made him shut up was a mumble from the unconscious man draped over Sanemi's back. Sanemi was deadass stupefied; all it took was one random noise and the brat shut his trap.

Of course, Sanemi wasn't a heathen so he cleaned the wet face with his sleeve lest the idiot catches a cold and poses even more issues for Sanemi. He would rather deliver these two as quickly as possible so he could go back to his estate and fucking have time to register just what bizarre circumstances he was stuck in.

The kid, Nagi if Sanemi remembered correctly, but why the fuck give two shits for a demon anyway, wiggled around in the little pouch the wind hashira had fashioned out of a blanket he had found strewn about amongst the foliage, along with some other stuff he guessed had been what Tomioka had packed away for his stupid shenanigans.

"What the fuck, stop doing that!"

Yet the idiot demon didn't stop, becoming fussier and nearly causing him to tumble out and down to the ground.

No one could blame Sanemi if he nearly stabbed the idiot to death and be done with this shitfest. He hadn't signed up for babysitting Muzan's spawn.

And that was another thing that deeply troubled Sanemi.

Apparently Tomioka, a dude as far as Sanemi was aware somehow had a kid with Kibutsuji Muzan, also a dude. He just couldn't quite wrap his head around the biology of it all, much less why the fuck Tomioka Giyuu? Was there something he wasn't aware of? Was Tomioka secretly a chick? Or was Muzan? Now that seemed even weirder. Why would the progenitor of all demons grab Tomioka of all duds around to fu- nah uh uh Sanemi wasn't gonna tarnish his brain cells with the imagery.

He was brought out of his conspiracy theorist mode by the sound of an arriving cart. Looking down at himself and his bloody luggage he wondered if the cart person would even bother stopping, much less let them on his cart. They certainly painted a sinister picture.

He freed one hand from under the kid's sling-pouch, letting the cloth dangle solely from his neck and shoulder, and signaled for the cart to stop.

Luckily, it did. But the looks the middle-aged man was sending the lot of them was nothing less than suspicious.

Before Sanemi could bring himself to speak, the man cut in, "I'll drop you lot at the nearest town and nowhere else."

Weird, but not like Sanemi minded. They would just have to walk for a few hours from there. So he nodded, thanking the man.

Turning his back to the back of the cart, he lowered the deadweight off his back and onto some hay to cushion still-alive-Tomioka's descent. Once the other man was situated, he pulled himself up, taking care not to jostle the demon spawn too much. He would rather not have to hear those wretched cries ever again, thank you very much.

When he was satisfied that no one and nothing would tumble down off the cart, he gave a nod to the man who urged his horses to begin the journey.

And off they went.

Resting his tired back against a bale of hay, Sanemi mindlessly looked at the squirming bundle blowing spit bubbles by his side, looking all too entertained by the moving motion of the cart. Next, his eyes fell on his adult companion, who hadn't given any indications of waking up any time soon.

Well, better lug his weight on his back than having to go on another chase after the crazed duo, Sanemi thought tiredly. This was way too fucked up for him to sanely comprehend. A squeal jerked him out of his semi-relaxed state, his eyes immediately darting towards the kid who somehow had a butterfly sitting on his forehead. In autumn.

"What the…you know what? I'm done. Fuck it, do whatever crazy bullshit you want, I don't care."

He watched as the brat took his chubby fist and crudely attempted to, what appeared to Sanemi, grab the little insect. All that he managed to do was smack his own face.

Sanemi would deny the surprised snort of amusement that left his nose vehemently.

"What an idiot,"

He attempted again, this time nearly crushing the poor insect if not for Sanemi rescuing it first.

Nagi whined, waving his arms up in the air to try and hold whatever was up there, his eyes uselessly moving around.

"Is he your son?"

Sanemi jerked in surprise, again. He was way too keyed up from all the bizarreness he had experienced in the past twenty-four hours. He was so caught up in his thoughts, he didn't even reply to the man before the other continued on, "How old is he? He sounds really active back there. Or is the kid a she? Ah, when my daughter was this small it was always a fun game with strangers who tried to guess the gender, she was so precious back th-,"

"Ah, no!"

"Hmm?"

"He is not my kid,"

The man nodded, making a humming sound, "Your companion's then?"

"Yeah, his son, yeah,"

"Sorry if it's out of place but, what happened? Do I need to take you to the guard station?"

Sanemi could feel the suspicious tone coating the sentence from a mile away. It was no wonder he was being thought of as a possible kidnapper-robber, maybe a murderer. Thank you scars.

"Oh thank you but we will be fine,"

"Hmm really?"

"Yeah, some people are expecting us,"

"I see,"

And the rest of the journey was spent in a terse, awkward silence punctuated by random soft snores from the napping baby.

By the time they reached the nearest town, it was already way past lunchtime. Nagi had woken up hungry, and cranky with a dirty diaper to boot. Luckily, or unluckily depending on the parties involved, Tomioka had woken up barely five minutes after the cart-man deposited them on a street near the center of the town, smack dab in the middle of the busiest area and left while sending meaningful looks towards Sanemi.

The moment Tomioka had woken up the first thing he did was literally scream as if someone had pressed the resume button on his body. The scream had, of course, set off the little heathen lying in the sling across Sanemi's torso, who began sobbing loudly.

The looks the people gave them had Sanemi dragging the two away to a somewhat secluded area, which just so happened to be a bench in an emptied out park. Tomioka was still breathing heavily, holding his dirty diapered, smelly baby as close to him as physically possible.

That sent a dull pang in ringing in Sanemi's chest, old memories trying to resurface that he ruthlessly squashed down before they ensnared him. "You should probably change his diaper,"

Tomioka looked at him with positively wet eyes, and Sanemi was loathed to admit that he would rather have the indifferent asshole back than seeing him look so- no time to be sappy. He thrust the bag towards the other man who took it with a trembling hand.

Sanemi stood to the side and watched as the other cleaned and changed the kid with practiced motions, quickly wrapping up the dirty diaper and dumping it in a trashcan that was conveniently situated right behind the bench.

That only left one target to achieve, food.

Looking at the impressive dark blue and black splotches covering huge expanses on Tomioka's neck, and the dirtied bandage Sanemi had haphazardly wrapped across his head to soak up the draining liquids from his ear; he didn't think the other would be able to ingest anything more than soup. Before the ex-water hashira could even begin to protest, Sanemi picked up the kid and motioned for the man to follow, "Quickly eat up something, we still have a fairly long distance to cover. I ain't risking you attempting another escape so he stays with me."

Sanemi ignored the hurt look aimed his way and began walking towards the exit, albeit slowly to let the other not feel like he was kidnapping his brat.

Sanemi was considerate like that. Hmph.

* * *

Giyuu wanted to cry.

He was tired, he was in pain, had thought his son had been killed, and now his Nagi was right there in front of him yet he wasn't allowed to hold him. He listlessly followed the white-haired man through the dense crowd, not letting him out of his sight.

He had become too used to the comfort and safety Urokodaki sensei had provided him and his son that he had nearly forgotten what it felt like to live in constant fear of death, that any moment his son would be snatched away from him and all he would be left with will be some handful of happy memories to remember the child by.

He twitched in surprise when a hand firmly gripped his wrist and pulled him away from the path of an oncoming horse cart, "What the fuck Tomioka, watch where you're going,"

The hand remained where it was even after the cart had safely driven past them, tugging him along through the crowded street and into a little eatery. The man behind the counter gave them a once over, looking a bit dubiously at them but nonetheless motioning towards an empty table near the counter. Giyuu let himself be guided towards the seat, the hand finally letting go when Sanemi, surprisingly enough, gently pulled Nagi out of the sling and plopped him down on the table in front of Giyuu.

Simply looking at the little curious face had Giyuu feeling so blessed. He caressed his son's cheek with his hand, letting the child recognize him from the scent of his hand and feel of his familiar hand. At once Nagi squealed with joy, waving his hands in the air till finally, he felt the two familiar guiding hands lead him towards the familiar face of his father. He traced his face with his hands, babbling happily. When Giyuu felt one of Nagi's hand inching a bit too close to the possibly dirty bandage, he gently guided him away.

Right then, Nagi sneezed. Right in Giyuu's face. Quickly followed by another one.

Giyuu was half sure he had heard a snort coming from their companion but deemed it too improbable to be true; must be his ruined hearing ability right now.

He rummaged through the bag before pulling out a cloth napkin, woolen beanie, and a bib. He would rather not have to change Nagi's clothes out in this cold weather without a proper bathroom.

"Oi, Tomioka, which one do you want?"

Giyuu looked behind Nagi and at the wind hashira who was showing him the soup menu. He simply pointed at the coconut corn one, getting a nod of acknowledgment from the other.

Oh, would you look at the rare sight, the ever so intimidating wind hashira was being so considerate to the person he claimed to hate the most.

"And the brat? Can he even eat normal food?" Again, Giyuu found the whole expanse of the menu in front of him, and he pointed at the boiled egg. Sanemi relayed the message to the man behind the counter who headed back into what must be the kitchen area.

Giyuu got occupied with getting Nagi situated, cleaning his face and making him wear warmed outer clothing. The baby, as all babies do, became instantly whiny the second he felt the wool beanie on his head. To distract him from potentially throwing the garment in their food, Giyuu tied the little anklet with the tinkling bell on his ankle, letting the kid entertain himself.

Nagi, his insanely adorable baby, was enamored by the fun sound that rang whenever he made his leg moved. He held onto Giyuu's sleeve in one tiny fist while with the other he tweaked the little bell around, giggling.

Soon their food was on their table and while his soup cooled down to drinkable temperature, Giyuu mashed the boiled egg for Nagi to eat. While they were staying with Urokodaki sensei, Giyuu had started slowly experimenting with the dietary limits Nagi had. Till now they had discovered that any kind of plant-produce sickened Nagi, after a particular incident with mashed potatoes, but animal produce or mixed ones were in marginally safe territory.

Perks of being only fifty percent demon, he guessed.

By the time their late lunch was done with, it was nearing three p.m. Sanemi stood up first, conveying his obvious intention of being the one to carry Nagi by slinging on the carrying pouch. Giyuu, obviously displeased but understanding, placed a gentle kiss on his son's forehead before lowering him down, not letting go till he was a hundred percent sure his baby was comfortable. As a last measure, he placed a pacifier in his mouth, inwardly cooing at the cute bobbing motions.

The three left the eatery to less crowded roads, but still noisy enough to worsen the painful ringing in Giyuu's head. He vaguely heard Sanemi grumbling and cursing something along the lines of "bothersome idiots" before he was forced to sit down on the bench outside the eatery while Sanemi rummaged around the bag for something. Soon Giyuu felt something wrapping around his head, effectively muffling the loud ruckus of the busy market as well as providing some relief from his pounding headache.

He opened his eyes to come face to face with the sleepy face of his son in the sling while the other man was still busy tying up whatever he had found in a secure knot. Once done, Sanemi stepped back, motioning for Giyuu to stand up and follow him.

It took him a few seconds to get used to the sudden weight but it was a small adjustment when compared to the immense relief it brought him.

And oh would you look at that, the hand was back on his arm, pulling him along.


End file.
